


Timing is Everything

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Angst, Drama, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-15
Updated: 2012-09-15
Packaged: 2017-11-14 07:59:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/513052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily Prentiss had been the light in the dark for so many…who was going to be that for her?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timing is Everything

**Author's Note:**

> I never really intended to ever like Clyde Easter. And while I still stand by hating that silly Season 6 storyline, Sebastian Roche has kinda captured my heart. He brought the character he played along by proxy. I don't know, I just think a part of me would be attracted to any man who could potentially be good for Emily as she never got that experience on the show.

“We like her, remember? We love the two of them together.” Emily said.

“I know but…”

“There's no but, JJ.”

“But Peaches…”

“Stop it guys.”

“You're really just going to let it happen without saying a single word?” Garcia asked.

“Yes.” Emily nodded.

“That’s not like you.” JJ said.

“Just stop.” She held up her hands. “This isn’t The Graduate, OK? And you know what they don’t show you in the movie? They don’t show you what happened after Benjamin and Elaine got off that bus. They had no plan; they had nothing but those overwhelming feelings that might only truly last a moment. Those feelings probably aren’t even real. They don’t show you that they maybe lasted five minutes before they stopped using each other as an excuse not to grow up, stand tall, and move on.”

“When did you get so cynical?” Garcia asked.

“Getting branded and staked can do that to a girl.” Emily replied.

“But you love him.” JJ said. “We wouldn’t be saying all of this if you didn’t love him. I'm not asking you not to forever hold your peace at the ceremony, but to say nothing ever…how can you do that to yourself?”

“You get to a point in your life where everything isn’t about you. We’ve worked together for six years. We've been side by side through thick, thin, and a couple of brushes with death. I was there when he held his dead wife in his arms. He was there when they wheeled me into surgery with massive internal injuries. 

“If there was ever a chance to confess love, I think it would've been then. He didn’t say it because he doesn’t feel it, and you know what its OK. I love him; I love him like I love you guys, Derek, and Dave and Spencer. There's never going to be anything more than what there is. 

“Why should I smite what is? And why should I ruin his happiness with my feelings that aren’t going to be reciprocated and probably aren’t even real anymore. Hotch is safe; he’s what I can feel so I don’t have to go back out there and try again. He doesn’t deserve that burden and I don’t either.”

“You still need to tell him.” Penelope said.

“Sometimes I don’t think you guys even listen to me when I talk.” Emily rolled her eyes. 

She tried to smile as she picked up the carton of Mooshu pork. It was going to be a long night…she hoped this wasn’t the topic of conversation the entire time. For this month’s girls night they decided to do something unprecedented. Since they had already ate, drank, danced, traveled, and even been “politely” escorted from almost every place in DC, they decided to do paperwork. 

It was always there and they were always avoiding it. Tonight they set up their stacks in the conference room of the BAU with music courtesy of Penelope Garcia. Up on the big screen were revolving images of calm and serenity as Crowded House sang Into Temptation. As usual, Neil Finn managed to tap into exactly what Emily was feeling.

“We’re listening, Emily.” JJ said. “We just know you don’t need anymore regrets.”

“This is not going to be a regret.” She shook her head. “I can't make people feel what they don’t feel and I won't force my feelings on them. What do you think that would do to our friendship?” She grabbed another folder from the pile. 

“Seriously, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I don’t want to speculate, pontificate, or overanalyze. I want to do some paperwork, eat Chinese, and enjoy a rainy evening at the office. Yes, that’s both sad and a little boring but I still plan to enjoy it. Please.”

The way she said the last word, the pleading in her voice, her friends heard it loud and clear. They had pushed it a little too far and it was time to dial it back. There was no reason to beat Emily up. She had been through enough, and Hotch had as well…they both deserved to be happy. He’d found his happiness. 

Instead of encouraging their other friend to do the same it seemed as if they were saying to tear his apart. Some of what Emily said was true. If Hotch felt that way he would've said something. If propriety or the FBI rules would've stopped him from pursuing it there's still no way his or her near death experience would've stopped him from saying it. Both JJ and Penelope saw, even with his inherent shyness in front of others, that he was crazy about Beth. 

She made him smile, open up, and blossom. He was a different man with her; a happy man. To not be happy for him would be sinful. She was a wonderful human being who loved Hotch and Jack. She would be hurt too if this hadn't worked out. The day after tomorrow she was going to have all she hoped for as well.

“This case is from six months ago.” Emily looked down at the folder. “I should be ashamed of myself. I'm never going to remember what I need to remember to finish this paperwork.”

“Do you want me to turn off the music?” Garcia asked.

“Hell no; I’d fall asleep in here.” Emily put it back in the pile and grabbed another. “I'm going to not do it right now and say I did.”

“It’s the Bureau way.” JJ said smiling.

“I need another pen,” Emily stood. “I’ll go and grab one from my desk.”

“I've got plenty.” Penelope replied.

Emily looked down at the vast array of pens. There were many colors, designs, and of course each had a crazy pen top that Garcia was known for. She smiled.

“They're awesome, but not quite my speed. I’ll be right back.”

She walked out of the room and Penelope looked at JJ.

“We upset her.” she said.

“Probably.” JJ’s nod was solemn. “We’re not going to talk about it anymore. It wasn’t really fair in the first place; I don’t even know how we got there.”

“We got there because she has feelings for him.” 

“She also has feelings for Clyde Easter and probably had them Ian Doyle but we sure don’t bring them up very much. She’s been through hell Garcia.”

“I know. From this moment on I'm going to let Emily be Emily. I mean I was doing that before but I won't bring up affairs of the heart anymore. That stuff is personal and we shouldn’t poke her about it. As long as she’s not doing anything that’s harmful I'm not going to say another word.”

“Me neither.”

Emily walked over to her desk and the first thing she noticed was that Hotch’s light was still on. That wasn’t unusual…he could have some late nights. It did seem weird that a man getting married in two days didn’t have something else he needed to be doing. Last weekend Rossi and a bunch of the guys dragged him out for a bachelor party. The event was kept under tight wraps both before and after. 

Beth invited Emily to her bachelorette party, which consisted of a great dinner at Firefly followed by rock and roll bowling and a lot of drinking. She had a nice time. Emily just wondered if Rossi got the strippers to come to him or hit one of the high end gentleman’s clubs in the Corridor. Before she could stop herself, Emily was walking up the steps and down to Hotch’s door. She knocked and waited to be invited in. He was on the telephone.

“I’ll be home in about an hour. Yes, I promise. Do you want me to pick up something to snack on? Hmm, I don’t know if I can find them at this hour but I’ll bring something you’ll love.” He smiled. “I’ll see you soon. I love you too sweetheart, bye.” 

Hanging up the phone, Hotch looked at Emily. There were probably a million things he wanted to say to her but never found the words. That was the definition of their entire relationship…lack of words. Sometimes she told him things, once in a while he did the same, but nothing ever came of it. 

There were a few times that he wished he could just crawl inside of her and see what she was thinking. Hotch wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to really be happy and not just fake it till she made it. He wanted her to have more than the BAU and her precious cat. Emily Prentiss had been the light in the dark for so many…who was going to be that for her?

“You're wrapping it up?” she asked.

“That’s my story and I'm sticking to it.” he smiled.

“We’re probably smack in the middle in the conference room.”

“Don’t stay too late; you’ve got to be here tomorrow.”

“We won't.” she shook her head and then sighed. “Hotch, I just want…I am so happy for you.”

“Thank you.”

“I mean, we all care about you and we’re all happy. Its just that after the things you’ve been through I just can't help but find infinite hope in your meeting Beth and getting this second chance.”

“I'm just glad my fiancé is braver than I would ever be.” He replied. “She ran up behind me and just started talking. She never really stopped.”

“It’s a great feeling, isn’t it?”

“I missed it.”

“Yeah well, congratulations. I'm really excited about the day after tomorrow. I'm sure I'm not as excited as you two but I'm looking forward to a celebration. We’ve been through some tough times; I love the celebrations.”

“We’re definitely planning on making it an affair to remember.” Hotch smiled. “I'm just glad you're going to be there. I'm glad you're back here with us, Prentiss. Nothing was the same when you were gone.”

“That’s what I hear. It wasn’t the same for me either. But I'm back, we don’t have to talk about it anymore.”

“If you ever want to talk…”

“I know; your door is always open. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say.”

“You told me once that I'm never alone. Neither are you, Emily. We’re a family, with all the ups, downs, and insanity that comes with that.”

“I just wanted to say congratulations. You deserve this and I’m so happy for you. I wish I could put it all into words but sometimes we can't for a reason. You're one of my favorites, Hotch, and you always will be.”

“You're one of my favorites too.” he smiled at her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“No, but you'll see me on Saturday.”

“OK,” Emily managed to smile. “See you then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Prentiss.”

She turned and walked out of the office. Closing the door behind her, Emily took a deep breath. Sometimes it was so easy to say a million words while really saying nothing at all. It wasn’t the right time; it was never the right time. 

To Emily that meant it wasn’t meant to be. What was meant to be was going to be happening on Saturday afternoon. The buzzing on her hip made her stop walking. She grabbed the phone, saw the name on the display, and this time her smile was a little wider.

“What could you possibly want?” she asked instead of saying hello. “Whatever it is, the answer is no.”

“When you treat me that way it just makes me adore you more you know. Hello Emily.”

“Hello Clyde.”

“My plane just landed.” He said.

“Where are you?”

“Dulles.”

“You're here?”

“You asked me to be here.”

“Yeah but…”

“But what?” Clyde asked.

“You're not the most reliable human being I've ever come across.”

“I'm trying to change.”

“How's that working out for you?” Emily asked.

“Mmm, slow going. But I'm here now.”

“And for one of the first times ever your timing is impeccable.”

***


End file.
